Eseosa Ekanem, a Senior Process Engineer (Technology and Research) from Nigeria, contributed to the development of the Carbon-14 diamond battery, at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) in collaboration with engineers at the University of Bristol.
Ekanem holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, London, and has been with the UKAEA since 2021.
About the Carbon-14 Diamond Battery
The Carbon-14 diamond battery consists of lab-grown diamonds that encase a slice of the radioactive material carbon-14. The battery is compact, measuring just 10mm in diameter and 0.5mm in thickness, roughly the size of a standard wristwatch battery.
The diamond’s semiconductor properties convert the radioactivity from carbon-14 into electricity, while the diamond’s ultra-hardness prevents radiation from escaping, ensuring safety. This makes the battery suitable for applications where conventional batteries would be impractical, such as powering deep space missions, satellites, medical devices like pacemakers and hearing aids, and other long-term electronics.
Unlike typical lithium-ion batteries, which last around 5 years (about 500 charge cycles), the Carbon-14 diamond battery has an impressive lifespan of up to 5,700 years, thanks to the long half-life of carbon-14.
The battery works by capturing fast-moving electrons within the diamond structure, similar to how solar panels convert light into electricity. Carbon-14 was chosen for its short-range radiation, which is quickly absorbed by solid materials, and because it is safely contained within the diamond, the hardest known material on Earth.
Sarah Clark, Director of the Tritium Fuel Cycle at UKAEA, notes that “diamond batteries offer a safe, sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt levels of power.”
How the Carbon-14 Diamond Battery Works
The battery generates low levels of power by harnessing the radioactive decay of carbon-14, which has a half-life of 5,700 years. Unlike solar panels, which capture light particles (photons), the diamond battery captures electrons from the decay process, converting them into electricity.
This process makes the Carbon-14 diamond battery suitable for use in extreme environments, both on Earth and in space, where replacing conventional batteries would be difficult or impractical.
Significance
The Carbon-14 diamond battery offers a promising solution for powering a range of devices, including satellites, space vehicles, medical devices, and other electronics, while minimizing environmental impact. The long lifespan of the battery and its ability to operate in extreme conditions make it a highly durable and sustainable energy source.
Once commercialized, it is expected to benefit the environment by reducing the need for frequent battery replacements and improving energy efficiency across various sectors.
